Capitol Hill Home

There are times when we miss our tiny Capitol Hill home. Last night when we were watching the local news there was an aerial shot of the Capitol building and surrounding neighborhood. I always play close attention to these images because depending on the direction, our old house is readily visible. And that was the case yesterday. To the right of the Capitol dome was the 1890’s five story white building plain as day. We lived in that place for thirteen years. It was the perfect location for when I worked ten years at the Library of Congress. It was two blocks away and made for an easy commute and an opportunity to have lunch at home. It was also a great neighborhood for everything Washington. We attended just about every event just by walking over to it. But the old building problems, street parking, and overall congestion was getting too much for us. So we moved to northern Virginia - close enough to drive in when we wanted to - but lately that’s been a bust. We frequently visited the botanic garden and attended Library events. That’s not likely to happen any time soon. So I can say it was a great place to live when we did. But I’m glad we’re not there now. But it’s fun to see the old homestead on the tv and say we once spent a big chunk of our lives there. It was an interesting part of our lives in so many ways. 

A Last Ride In To Town for A While

We’ve been through a few government shutdowns. The Smithsonian museums closed and the streets were empty. Needless to say, it looks the same now - but worse. We moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill almost a year ago. So we thought we would take a drive to town to see the cherry blossoms this week. Because we are in the at risk age group, we have been staying closer and closer to home. I don’t even feel like taking a walk outside anymore. In normal times, spring is probably the busiest in DC - especially around the Tidal Basin. Before we spent time there we drove around our old neighborhood. It looked very sad. There was barely any traffic on the avenues, and all the restaurants and bars were closed. A few people were walking about. On the way home I thought it might be wise to just hang around our new neighborhood until things blow over sooner or later. There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks for anyone. And I’m not a risk taker anyway but it’s hard to convince my husband to stay put. 

Discovering Washington

Whenever there are shows or movies about Washington DC on television, we always watch for views of our house. It is not unusual to find it in the overhead shots. Most recently we were watching “Discovering Washington” on PBS for the sole purpose of seeing our house. All the footage of the sites were so familiar because we have now lived here almost twelve years, and see a lot of what the show was describing on our daily walks along the National Mall. Every time we see these programs my husband comments about how much he loves living here and would be very sad if we ever left. When the aerial views of the Capitol came on we paid very close attention to the surrounding area. And for about five seconds we could see our house on the far right side of the screen. The building has after all been around since the 1870’s - which is both good, but also bad in terms of living on picturesque Capitol Hill. We are here because of the neighborhood - not the sound infrastructure of our building! What once was a home for single girls working in the area - run by the nuns - was converted to condos. It’s a very pretty place and anyone who walks by takes a good look at it. It’s nice to be in such good company. Not everyone can point their house out on tv. 

Clouds and Monuments

It's been weird weather around here. I can't remember being this hot in Florida! At least there were afternoon thunderstorms that cooled everything down. Here, it's been everlasting heat and humidity without much of a break. Last evening we drove to McLean for dinner at Amoo's Persian Restauarnt. On our way home, it was sprinkling a bit, and the skies were beginning to look rather ominous. But they were only looking ominous sporadically rather than throughout. As we crossed Memorial Bridge, the clouds were scattered in a very funny array over the Lincoln memorial. Heading closer in, there was just a small area where it was pouring, and it looked like it was just next to the Washington Monument and could be just over our neighborhood. Passing by the Tidal Basin, black skies were forming in very threatening shapes. When we reached the Capitol, things were less spooky looking until we turned up towards our house in the neighborhood. I really don't like rain storms and prefer to be home when they strike. I have an umbrella for every kind of rain. Call that paranoid - or prepared. It doesn't really matter though because I'm ready for it. I just don't like being in it. 

The RNC and DNC Are Right in our Neighborhood

We take a walk just about every morning and you never know what you are going to run in to. We also live just a block or two away from the RNC and the DNC. The roads get clogged and blocked for a variety of things ... and I have a feeling it may happen a lot more over the next several months. As we took our usual path towards the Library of Congress, the photographers and reporters standing by were focused on the front and the side of the RNC, waiting for a glimpse of a anyone newsworthy. This time it was Trump or Ryan. So we hung around as we usually do when these things arise - the last time was for the Obama motorcade at the Sewell Belmont house a couple weeks ago. If I was still working at the library I may have gone to the south windows of the building to watch below. People were watching from windows from the alley and surrounding neighborhood. What's interesting is that the RNC has alleyways behind it and a parking garage below it. Where everyone thought they would get a good photo or story never happened as there were several decoys. If nothing else, we'll watch the news and see if we show up anywhere . We were on C Span at the Scalia viewing at the Supreme Court, and at the senate armed forces committee hearing.  When the hub bub was over, we walked to Pets's for our weekly brunch, then headed over the the Capitol. There were a bunch of congressional staff talking about DC statehood, and a demonstration about nursing ratios in front of the Senate side. In between were large groups of visitors and school groups. The police presence was not unnoticed. It's just another day on Capitol Hill - which is the reason my husband loves it so much. 

Newseum

The Newseum has been around I think as long as we have lived here - about ten years. We have walked by it many times along Pennsylvania Avenue and checked out the newspapers of the day on display from all over the country and the world. So when our guests from Milwaukee were visiting, one of the places they were interested in seeing was the Newseum. I got the $15 tickets on line before they arrived. They can be used at any time prior to the end of the year, and for over a two days period. Because the weather was so bad, we drove over and parked in the garage for a weekend rate of $15. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but was impressed with the artifacts, layout, and general building structure. The views from the balcony were impressive. So much has happened along the Avenue since it existed, and this spot is a great vantage point for the inaugural parade. There was so much to see within the walls that it was overwhelming.  One could easily spend a lot more time looking at all the news since I'm not sure when. From the sixties forward, things looked so familiar. Prior to that time, it was something I had only read about or learned in history or social studies. The twin tower radio steeple that once stood upon the top of the building was a poignant display. It made me feel quite uneasy and sad looking at it surrounded by the newspapers proclaiming the outrage from all over the world. I was the editor of my high school newspaper and had once considered a career in journalism. I'm not sure why I never pursued it, having written the who, what, when, where, and how stories many times over. Things have changed so dramatically since then. Now everyone is a reporter, and nothing is a secret - and the truth lies somewhere in between. 

Finally! A Beautiful Day in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood!

Finally! The sun is out and it is gorgeous outside! Who could resist taking a walk on the mall and the neighborhood on a day like this? It really lifts my spirits after the last round of clouds and rain and cold. Someone once told me that in DC it goes from winter to summer quickly, with about a week of spring in between. In the Midwest, it's winter almost all year. I don't know how we stood it! The flowers were gorgeous, and everything looked so fresh! We stopped at the sculpture garden restaurant for a light brunch, then walked home via Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol. The huge school crowds are still around, and with congress back in session our neighborhood is very busy. I rather prefer when they are out of town - it's just more peaceful. Getting closer to home, the rowhouse gardens are beginning to flourish and show their stuff. But I like our tiny patio garden the most. My husband just put the solar bird bath out, and our feathered friends just couldn't wait to get at it. I finally captured a cardinal not only picking up stuff for a nest, but stopping by for a sip at the fountain. There's no better time of year? Not having to work makes it all the more sweeter!